Railway-road-bed construction.



G. R. HOLDEN. RAILWAY ROAD BED CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED MAR.28, 196s. RENEWED JAN. 30, 1909.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1,

a GRAHAM 00., PMOTO LITNOGRAFHERS. wnswuamn u c CHARLES R. HOLDEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-ROAD-BED CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. '7, 1909.

Application filed March 28, 1908, Serial No. 423,855. Renewed January 30, 1909. Serial No. 475,217.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. HOLDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Railway-Road-Bed Construction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates, more, particularly, to improvements in means for securing railway-rails in place on ties provided to receive them; and my object, generally stated, is to provide new and improved means for the purpose stated to the end of improving railway road-bed constructions.

Referring to the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a View in side elevation of a tie showing rails in cross-section secured thereto in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of the parts comprising the means for binding the rails to the tie, the parts being shown in dis assembled relation. Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of an end of the tie illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of another form of tie in connection with which my invention may be employed; and Fig. 6, a view in side elevation of a portion of the tie illustrated in Fig. 5.

The tie illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is of the U-shape type affording two upright flanges, or webs, '7. Each flange, near the opposite ends of the tie, carries two shoulders, each undercut, as represented at 9, to afford abutments for the outer flanges 10 of rails 11 seated on the top-surfaces of the webs 7. Projecting above the rail-seats at a sufficient distance from the abutments 8 to permit the rails to be applied to the ties and inserted into engagement with the undercut portions of the abutments, are cars 12 each of which contains a slot 13, preferably of arc-shape, affording a curved wall 14-, each of these slots opening toward its cooperating abutments 8.

The means for fastening the rails in place on the tie each comprises a key 15 of arcshape in cross-section corresponding with the are described by the slots 13, the key having a shouldered rail-flange-engaging portion 16 which, when the key is inserted crosswise of the tie through the slots 13 in the op posed webs 7 as illustrated in Fig. 9, is caused to bear against the inner flange 17 of the adjacent rail and force the latter against the cooperating abutment 8.

As most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 the portion of the key which engages with the bottom portions of the slots is provided with inclined surfaces 18 and 19, forming wedging surfaces, arranged in stepped relation, the depth of the companion slots 13 into which the key is insertible varying, as clearly illustrated at 20 and 21, in Fig. 4, whereby, when the key is inserted into the companion slots 13 the wedging surfaces 18 and 19 will simultaneously engage with the bottom portions of these slots.

To clamp a rail in place on the tie it is applied to its seat on the flanges and moved into engagement with the undercut portions 9 of the shoulders 8. The key is then inserted into the companion slots 13 and its inclined surfaces 18 and 19 are caused to ride upon the bottom portions of the slots 13 with the result of causing the key to be turned in the slots in a direction toward the rail, and thereby causing its rail-fiange-en: gaging portion 16 to be forced down and against the inner flange 17 of the rail and securely clamp the latter to the tie. By forming the seats 13 in the flanges 7 as illustrated, the portion 16 of the key moves toward the rail and down against it, and therefore, as the stress exerted against the key is communicated to the curved wall 14 and bottoms of the slots 13, the resistance afforded by the rail-fastening meansagainst displacement is great.

The key may be driven into the desired position for clamping the rail to the tie by striking it at its enlarged end with a sledge, or the like, or by means of the bolt-device illustrated of which the following is a description: The cars 12 are provided with bolt-holes 22 below the slots 13, and extending crosswise of the tie, one at each end thereof, is a bolt 23 which fits at its head 24 against the outer face of the tie-flange 7 containing the shallower of 'the slots 13. Each bolt projects at its opposite threaded end 25 beyond the larger end of the key with which it cooperates, and receives a washer 26 having an arc-shaped shoulder 27 which fits against the large end of the key, and is caused to bear forcibly against the latter by the screwing of a. nut 28 on the bolt Thus as the nut is turned the key is forced into close engagement with the rail.

In addition to the means described for bolding the key in place I may provide a wedgeshaped pin 29 which may be driven through a slot in the key and in engagement with the outer face of the adjacent tie-flange 7 to perform its function in a well-known manner.

The construction of tie illustrated at 31 in Figs. 5 and 6, is of the well-known Lbeam type with angleplates 32 riveted to it on opposite sides a longitudinal distance apart corresponding approximately to the gage of the track desired. Each pair of plates is formed with the undercut shoulders 8 and slotted ears 12 as described of the flanges 7 of the preceding figures, this construction being designed for use with a key of the form hereinbefore described. Thus it will be seen that the only difference between the construction illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 and that of Figs. 1 to inclusive, is that instead of making the shoulders 8 and ears 12 a part of the rail-flange proper described of the U-shaped tie construction, they are formed on separate plates bolted to the tie-proper.

A great advantage afforded by the construction of key described is that of the adaptability of the key to be sprung into close engagement with the rail .even though the parts of the construction may not be formed in exactly the proper proportions as is very liable to occur in practice.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of a support for a rail containing a recess having a curved wall, an abutment for one of the lateral flanges of the rail, a :key provided with a rail-flangeengaging portion and insert-ible into said recess, and means for moving the key in said recess against its curved wall thereby causing the key to turn in the recess and hear at its rail-flange-engaging portion against the other flange of the rail, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination .of .a support fora rail containing a recess having 'a curved wall, an abutment for one of the lateral flanges of the rail, a key provided with a railiiangee ngaging portion and inserti-ble into said recess, and wedging means for moving the key in said recess against its curved wall thereby causing the key to turn in the recess and hear at its rail-flange-engaging pol biOh against the other flange of the rail, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of a support for a rail containing a recess having a curved wall, an abutment for one of the lateral flanges of the rail, a key provided with a rail-flangeengaging portion and insertible into said recess, and wedge-surfaces carried by the key and engaging with said support for causing the key to be moved in the recess against its curved wall thereby causing the key to turn and bear at its rail-flange-engag- 111g port on against the other flange of the ra l, for the purpose set forth.

l. The combination of a support for a rail containing a recess having a curved wall, an abutment for one of the lateral flanges of the rail, and a key provided with a railflange-engaging portion and wedge-surfaces on its bottom-portion and insertible into said recess, whereby the key is caused to be moved against said curved surface and be turned in the recess and bear at its railflange-engaging portion against the other flange of the rail upon the act of inserting the key in the recess 5. The combination of a support for a rail containing an arc-shaped recess, an abutment for one of the lateral flanges of the rail, a key of arc-shape in cross-section provided with a rail-flange-engaging portion and insertible into said recess, and means for moving the key in said recess against the curved wall of the latter thereby causing the key to he turned therein and hear at its rail-flange-engaging portion against the other flange of the rail, for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of a support for a rail containing an arc-shaped recess, an abutment for one of the lateral flanges of the rail, and a key of arc-shape in cross-section provided with a rail-fiange-engaging pOrL 1 and with a wedging surface on its lower edge insertible into said recess transversely ,of the support, whereby the wedging-surface of the key is caused to {bear against the bottom of the recess and turn the key at its railfiange-engaging portion against the other flange of the rail, for the purpose set forth.

7 T he combination of a support fora rail having a plurality of upright webs, each containing a recess having a curved wall, an abutment on the support for one of the lateral flanges of the rail, and a key provided with a rail-flange-engaging portion and wedging surfaces arranged in stepped relation, insertible into said recesses transversely of the support, whereby the key is caused to be turned in the recesses against the curved walls thereof and bear at its rail,- flange-engaging portion against the other flange of the rail upon the act of inserting the key in the recesses.

8. The combination of a support for a rail havii' g a plurality of upright webs each containing a recess having a curved wall, abutments on the support for one of the lateral flanges of the rail, a key provided with .a rail-flange-engaging portion and insertible into said recesses, means for turning the key in said recesses to cause it to move against said curved walls and bear at its railrflangeengaging portion against the other flange ,of the rail, and means on the support operating against the key for holding the latter in adjusted position on the support.

9. The combination of a support for a rail having a plurality of upright Webs each containing a recess having a curved Wall, abutments on the support for one of the lateral flanges of the rail, a key provided With a rail-flange-engaging portion and insertible into said recesses, means for turning the key in said recesses to cause it to move against said curved Walls and bear at its rail-flangeengaging port-ion against the other flange of the rail, a bolt extending at its threaded end through one of said webs against which it bears at its head, means movable on the .bolt for engaging With the key, and a nut on the bolt for moving said last-named means toward the head of the bolt While in engagement with the key, for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES R. HOLDEN.

In presence of- R. A. SCHAEIER, WV. T. J ONES. 

